Flushing-tank.



H. S. HAWKS.

FLUSHING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1911.

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H. s. HAWKS.

PLUSHING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 1911 Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor Witnesse Attorheys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY'S. HAWKS, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO EDITH J. HAWKS, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

FLUSHING-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed January 13, 1911. Serial No. 602,443.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. HAWKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Flushing-Tank, of which the followingis a specification.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a mechanism whereby a flushing tank may be refilled without noise.

Another object of the invention is to provide' a flushing tank which will refill the bowl or hopper to the proper level and accomplish this result noiselessly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flushing device which may be applied upon tanks of different dimensions.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for regulating the inflow and outflow of the water from the flushing tank.

Vith the. foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention residesin the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without de parting from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the in- I vention in vertical longitudinal section,

parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 2 is a section upon the line AB of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the inner and outer casings whereby the inflow of water is controlled; Fig. 4 is a top plan of one of the plates which enter into the construction of the outer casing; Fig. 5 is a top plan of another plate which enters into the construction of the outer casing; and Fig. 6 is a transverse section upon the line C-D of Fig. 3. I

In the drawings, thev numeral 1 designates the tank. Extended through the bottom of the tank 1 and rising above the bottom of the tank, is the inlet pipe 2 whereby the tank is supplied with water. This inlet pipe 2 is provided at its upper end with a curved extension 3, extended through a hole 4 in the top plate 5 of the outer casing. This top plate 5 is likewise provided'with a series of spaced holes 6, adapted to re ceive bolts 7, which, being extended through,

holes 8 in the bottom plate 9 of the outer casing, serve to bind the plates 5 and 9 against the ends of the cylinder 10, this Iouter cylinder constituting a part of the outer casing.

A series of threaded rods 11 are terminally rotatable in the plates 5 and 9. These rods 11 are threaded into cars 12 protruding from a cap 14 over which an inner cylinder 15 is secured with a driving fit. The cap 14 and the inner cylinder 15 constitute what, for convenience, will be referred to hereinafter as the inner casing.

A piston head 16 is adapted to reciprocate in the inner cylinder 15, this piston head 16 and the inner cylinder 15 both being open-bottomed. The piston head 16 moves air tight in the inner cylinder, and the air which is confined between the head 16 and the cap 14 causes the piston 16, the cap 14 and the inner cylinder 15 to act as a dashpot. Into the lower end of the piston head 16 a resilient packing 17 is introduced. This packing 17 surrounds a piston rod 18 which is connected with the head 16. The piston rod 18, the packing 17 and the piston head 16 will be referred to hereinafter as the piston structure.

In the bottom plate 9 of the outer casing there is a hole 19 in which the piston rod 18 reciprocates, and suitably positioned about the central hole 19 are outlets 20, whereby, as will be pointed out hereinafter, the water may be admitted into the tank 1 from the outer casing, that is, from the interior of the outer cylinder 10.

Fixed to and rising from the bottom plate 9, and surrounding the openings 19 and 20 is a tube 21. This tube 21 extends upwardly above the lower end of the inner cylinder 15, and when the piston structure moves downwardly, the resilient packing 17 will be seated against the upper end of this tube 21, so that no water can pass through the outlets 20.

A connection 22 is pivoted at its upper end to the piston rod 18 and at its lower end pivoted to the principal lever 23, this lever 23 extending substantially the full length of the tank 1. The lever 23 is fulcrumed as shown at 24, upon a lug 25 projecting downwardly from the plate 9 and, if desired, connected with the bottom of the tank.

As will be clearly seen in Fig. 2, the prinarms 27. These arms 27 are provided with extensions 28, and screws 29 or other securing elements adapted to a like end, reciprocating in elongated slots 30 in the ends of the arms 27, serve as a means whereby the eflective length of the lever 23 may be increased or diminished. Thus a single flushing apparatus may be employed in tanks of different lengths. To these extensions 28, a float 31 is pivoted, as shown at 32. The float 31 carries a block of rubber 26 or other resilient material, which, engaging the bottom of the tank 1, limits the tilting of the lever 23.

Extended through the bottom of the tank 1, adjacent the center of the tank is a bellshaped outlet 33. An upright overflow pipe 34 is shown, the lower end of which communicates with the outlet 33, as shown at 35. Secured to the overflow pipe 34 are spaced brackets 36 and 37. In these brackets 36 and 37 a vertical rod 33 is mounted for reciprocation, this rod 38 having at its lower end a. ball valve 39, adapted to seat in the bell-shaped outlet 33, under the action of gravity, the ball valve 39 being ordinarily fashioned from rubber.

A pair of short links 42 are pivoted at their lower ends to the rod 38, these links being pivoted at their upper ends to a hori- Zontally disposed operating lever 43, fulcrumed as shown at 44, upon an arm 45, carried by a bracket 100 secured to the pipe 34.

A face plate 46 is applied to one side of the overflow pipe 34, and in this face plate 46 and the overflow pipe 34 there is a hole 47, forming a communication between the tank proper and the interior of the over flow pipe 34. To this face plate 46 an auxiliary lever 48 is fulcrumed at one end. The auxiliary lever 48, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, is connected at 50 to the principal lever 23.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, and noting that these figures depict parts of the invention in the positions which they will assume when the tank has been drained, it may be stated that the water, passing upwardly through the inlet pipe 23, will enter the cylinder 10 and pass downwardly between the cylinders 10 and 15, the water passing upwardly over the edge of the tube 21, and then passing downwardly through the said tube, and through the openings 20 in the base plate 9 of the outer casing, the water thus being delivered into the tank 1.

As the water rises in the tank 1, the float 31 will be lifted, tilting the principal lever 23, and ultimately drawing the cylinder structure 16-18 downwardly, so that the packing 17 will be bound against the upper end of the tube 21, thus preventing any further supply of water from flowing into the tank.

It will of course be understood that in or der to empty the tank, the operating lever 43 is manipulated, withdrawing the ball valve 39 from the mouth of the outlet 33, whereupon the water will flow through the outlet 33 into the closet or other structure, and, as the water lowers in the tank, the float 31 will drop, tilting the principal lever 23 and lifting the piston structure 1618, the packing 17 being withdrawn from the upper end of the tube 21 so that the water may flow therethrough. During this upward movement, the air which is confined in the inner cylinder 15 between the cap 14 and the head 16 will cause an even upward movement of the head 16. It is to be noted that as soon as the head 16 is lifted, withdrawing the packing 17 from the upper end of the tube 21, the water, rushing upwardly within the bottom of the cylinder 15, will come into contact with the packing 17, the inflowing water thus serving to aid in the elevation of the piston head 16.

By referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be seen that the upper edge of the outlet 33 is above the upper edge of the tube 21. By this construction, the cylinder 10, and the lower end of the cylinder 15 are kept continually full of water. Therefore, when the water enters the outer cylinder 10 through the inlet 2-3, this entrance of the water will take place noiselessly, and without splashing.

After the ball valve 39 has been seated in the mouth of the outlet 33, it will be noted, referring to Fig. 1, that the hole 47 in the overflow pipe 34 is open. Owing to this fact, the water, as it rises in the tank 1, will trickle slowly through this hole 47, and enter the outlet 33 below the ball valve 39, the water thus admitted, finding its way noiselessly, and in a small stream, to the closet, the trap in the closet being thus filled noiselessly to the proper level. As the water rises in the tank 1, elevating the float 31, the principal lever 23 moving upwardly, will, through the medium of the connection 50, tilt the auxiliary lever 48, until this lever, sliding along the face plate 46, closes the hole 47 and thus prevents further water from finding its way into the outlet 33 below the ball valve 39.

It will of course be understood that the function of the overflow pipe 34 is to prevent the tank 1 from running over, should the means for throttling the inflow of the water become inoperative accidentally; the upper end of the outlet pipe 34 being, as clearly seen in Fig.1, disposed below the upper edge of the tank 1.

The construction of the device is such that the flushing tank will exercise its function noiselessly, the inflow of water into the tank being readily throttled as the water rises.

It will be seen that by rotating the screws 11, the inner casing, comprising the cap 14 and the cylinder 15 may be raised or lowered. By this operation, the lower end of the inner cylinder 15 may be positioned properly with respect to the upper end of the tube 21, so that the ends of the tube 21 and the cylinder 15 may be disposed in overlapped relation, as shown in Fig. 3. Moreover, by reason of the fact that this inner casing is vertically adjustable, the air space between the piston head 16 and the cap 14: may be increased or diminished, thus altering the cushioning effect of the confined air upon the piston head 16.

It is to be understood that any suitable means may be provided for operating the lever 43 to empty the tank 4, and so far as the manipulation of the lever 43 is concerned, the invention is not limited to any particular showing.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a tank; a flushing outlet therefrom; an overflow opening at one end into the tank and at the other end opening into the outlet, the overflow having an aperture intermediate its ends communicating with the tank; means for supplying the tank; float-controlled mechanism for throttling the supply to the tank; and a device operable by said mechanism to close the aperture in the overfiow while said mechanism is throttling the supply.

2. In a device of the class described, a tank; a flushing outlet therefrom; an overflow opening at one end into the tank, and at the other end opening into the outlet, the overflow having an aperture intermediate its ends communicating with the tank; a float-controlled principal lever operating to throttle the supply to the tank; and an auxiliary lever fulcrumed adjacent the overflow and adapted to open and close the aperture in the overflow, the auxiliary lever being operatively connected with the prin cipal lever to close the aperture while the principal lever is throttling the supply.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY S. HAWKS.

Witnesses V. KING, C. S. MCCRENNY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

